Food for Good Skin & Body

Put these foods are on your menu to help bring out your natural beauty.

It comes as no surprise to any of us that a varied, healthy diet will make us look better as well as feel it. We might have friends who rarely touch fruit or veg and, whilst they might manage to keep a great figure, there’s something about their general appearance that just doesn’t look tip top.

There can be all kinds of reasons why we look grey or why our eyes have lost their sparkle, but most of the time, we just need to refuel with a few of the everyday foods that can make a difference to our natural healthy appearance.

10 foods for looking good

Peppers: Red, orange, yellow, green – they’re all a good source of carotenes some of which the body safely converts into vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for healthy eyes and our immune response.

Citrus fruits and blackcurrants: These are good sources of vitamin C which is an essential antioxidant vitamin that is involved in collagen synthesis, helps build healthy tissue like skin and, protects against daily oxidative damage. Feeling great will make a big difference to your chances of looking great. Extreme deficiency in vitamin C is rare but insufficient intake is common.

Whole grain foods: along with seeds, are a wonderful source of vitamin E, the only fat soluble antioxidant vitamin which has many important properties particularly protecting cell membranes. As such, vitamin E is valuable for skin health, reducing u.v. skin damage.

Breakfast cereals fortified with riboflavin (B2): B2 can also be found in dairy produce and eggs, but breakfast cereals are a useful source of riboflavin, which helps maintain skin health. It also helps to keep the eyes and mouth in good condition.

Leafy green vegetables: The term ‘superfood’ has fallen out of fashion because it suggested that just a few foods could solve all your problems. Athough that’s not the case, there are some foods which tick more than one nutritional box. Leafy greens are a great source of carotene, folic acid, vitamin C and K (essential for healthy blood clotting) as well as fibre. That’s pretty ‘super’ by anyone’s standards…

Water (and other fluids): Keeping up fluid intake is important to maintain a healthy body. Most biological processes in the body need a water based environment to work properly. Although you don’t have to exclusively drink water, it is, of course, the one beverage that only contains water, and you won’t be tempted to dunk biscuits in it like you might with a tea or coffee! If your body isn’t getting enough fluids, it will hang on to the fluids it already has but this is not healthy for normal urinary function. Make sure you consume the recommended 6 to 8 glasses of fluids a day rather than reducing them.

Nuts: It’s true that nuts are very high in fat, although they do have a good mix of mono-unsaturates and polyunsaturates. They can be an excellent source of nutrients and will stave off hunger as a long-lasting snack. Steer clear of coconut, as that is high in saturated fat, and instead enjoy almonds and hazelnuts, these are a particularly rich source of vitamin E. Brazil nuts and particularly walnuts are packed with healthy unsaturated omega-3 fats. For zinc try pistachios, cashews and pecans, and Brazil nuts as a phenomenal source of selenium. Unless you have a bad reaction to nuts, they can be great for all these nutrients which contribute to general good body and skin health, but you don’t need to feast on them. Just keep a bag handy to nibble on from time to time.

Kiwi Fruit: Rich in vitamin C, which not only helps boost your immune system – reducing the risk of those those grey-looking periods when you’re on the verge of illness – but also aids iron absorption when you are eating iron-rich foods. If you become iron-deficient you will most likely loose your bloom, as well as feeling tired and possibly dizzy.

Tomatoes: A great source of lycopene a carotene, also contain vitamins C and E, important for maintenance of health skin condition and eyes. Even purees, tinned tomatoes, passata and tomato juice can be nutritionally good for you.

Fish: Tuna, sardines, mackerel and salmon are useful sources of essential fatty acids (omega-3 group), great not only for better inner health but also for problems like eczema. Protein and EFAs could also help keep your hair and nails looking great, too!

Now that you have discovered healthy diet routine for your skin, also check out an amazing skin care routine to maintain that fair and glowing skin here.